Pedals won't release

I've got this set of xpedo sl road pedals that I've used previously with no problems whatsoever. I took them off & stored them for a while as I didn't need them.

On a new build, I decided to put these pedals back into use again. Clipped into them & found out on the test ride that I wasn't able to click out normally almost falling over. Turning the foot outward as normal only resulted in the foot twisting to a certain point where it should release but it didn't & the foot remained locked in & you couldn't twist back in either. The foot was stuck in a splayed position.

I was only able to click out the other foot by twisting inward. Once I had that foot on the ground, I was able to twist the other foot inward to release it. I played with the tension & it really didn't do anything but make clicking in super easy. But even then the pedals don't feel right. They used to be really positive & snappy with the engagement when clicking in but now I can't even tell if I'm clicked in or not. Anyone else experience this before & what's the solution?

BTW these pedals have never been ridden in the rain & actually have pretty low mileage on them. The cleats & shoes are brand new.

I just had a similar experience. I normally use Speedplay pedals/cleats, which literally eject your foot straight up off of the pedal when you rotate your ankle.

I temporarily installed my PowerTap P-1 Pedals, which use the XPedo cleats. I rarely use these pedals, and found that it takes a little more than the normal ankle twist to disengage. I have to actively move my foot backwards enough to disengage the nose of the cleat from the pedal. The first few times I tried to click out of them, it felt like it wasn't disengaging until I gave a little rearward movement. Once I had done it three or four times, muscle memory kicked in and it was fine...

It was just a matter of getting a feel for a different engagement/disengagement motion...